Morning Edition

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Waking up is hard to do, but it's easier with NPR's Morning Edition. Hosts Renée Montagne and Steve Inskeep present the day's stories and news to radio listeners on the go. While they are out traveling, David Greene can be heard as regular substitute host. Matt McCleskey and the WAMU news team bring the latest news from the Washington Metro area. Jerry Edwards keeps an eye on the daily commute. Morning Edition provides news in context, airs thoughtful ideas and commentary, and reviews important new music, books, and events in the arts. All with voices and sounds that invite listeners to experience the stories.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The royal baby isn't the only bundle of joy making headlines in New Jersey. Nine months after Hurricane Sandy hit — leaving many people stuck at home with nothing to do — there seems to be a bit of a baby boom. Several hospitals in New Jersey report they're delivering hundreds more babies than this time last year.

Pope Francis is in Brazil for World Youth Day. His arrival was marked by some security concerns and crowds eager for a view. Brazil is home to one-tenth of the world's Catholics, but evangelical churches are making inroads. The Washington Post's Juan Forero talks to Renee Montagne about the first Latin American pontiff's challenges in South America.

The German company that owns Mercedes-Benz made a lot of money in the second quarter. Daimler says net profit rose to more than $6 billion, up from about $2 billion in the same quarter last year. The company says it has seen car sales in Europe bottom out, but at the same time, there's been strong demand for some of its new models. Daimler also sold off the rest of its stake in the parent company of Airbus, which helped its numbers.

The Spanish village of Juzcar was suffering from economic hard times. But in 2011, Sony Pictures picked the little town of about 250 people to promote The Smurfs. Promoters painted the entire village the bright blue of those little cartoon creatures. After getting used to the color — and the tourists it drew — residents have voted not to repaint.

The House is to vote Wednesday on whether to stop funding the National Security Agency's programs to collect data about Americans' phone calls. The proposal, an amendment to the half-trillion-dollar defense spending bill, is winning support both from liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans.

The aircraft maker Boeing says its latest quarterly earnings rose a surprising 13 percent this quarter, despite all the troubles with the new 787 Dreamliner. The outlook is less rosy for another big U.S. manufacturer: Caterpillar, the heavy machinery maker.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Watch C-SPAN long enough and you'll see members of Congress using big visual aids, known by Capitol Hill insiders as floor charts. They've become an essential part of congressional messaging — and there is so much affection for them, they have their own Tumblr.

Afghanistan's top political comedy sketch show mocks aspects of day-to-day life in hopes of shaming the government to clean up its act. The cast of Zang-e-Khatar, or Danger Bell, has tackled everything from corruption to bad roads, and they've received death threats for doing it.

When Dallas barbecue restaurant Pecan Lodge opened three years, there was no line of customers waiting to taste the brisket. But that all changed when Texas Monthly barbecue critic Daniel Vaughn rated the Pecan Lodge barbecue among the very best in the state.

In Honduras, there's a masked man on a mission to change his country's violent image. He calls himself the Maeztro Urbano, the "Urban Master." By day, he works in advertising; at night, he covers city walls with pictures of weapons turning into balloons or fat bureaucrats spending money on art, not guns.

LG is taking preorders in the U.S. for new 55-inch TVs with screens that are curved, not flat. So-called OLED technology allows for super-thin, flexible screens and vibrant colors. The retail price is $15,000.

David Greene speaks with NPR's Don Gonyea, Scott Horsley and Brian Naylor about The Des Moines Register's Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The three reporters are riding in the event, also known as RAGBRAI, to explore the Iowa they didn't see on the presidential campaign trail.

The president's signature accomplishment — the Affordable Care Act — faces yet another critical test. On Wednesday the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Congress intended for the federal health insurance exchange to offer the same subsidies available to those in state exchanges.

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